Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

ON MERCY, I. V. 4-vi. 1greatly incensed, no one will venture to gainsay,nay, even to entreat—that this man should lay arestraining hand upon himself, and use his power tobetter and more peaceful ends when he reflects," Any one can ^iolate the law to kill, none but I,to save " ? A lofty spirit befits a lofty station, andif it does not rise to the level of its station and evenstand above it, the other, too, is dragged downwardto the ground. Moreover, the pecuUar marks of alofty spirit are mildness and composure, and the loftydisregard of injustice and wTongs.rage in anger, for wild beasts doubtless—and yet noteven the noble sort of these—to bite and worry theirprostrate victims. Elephants and hons pass by whatthey have stricken do>vn ; it is the ignoble beast thatis relentless. Cruel and inexorable anger is notIt is for woman to^seemly for a king, for thus he does not rise muchabove the other man, toward whose own level hedescends by being angry at him. But if he grants hfe,if he grants position to those who have imperilledand deserve to lose them, he does what none but asovereign may ; for one may take the life even of asuperior, but not give it ever except to an inferior.To save life is the peculiar pri\ilege of exalted station,which never has a right to greater admiration thanwhen it has the good fortune to have the same poweras the gods, by whose kindness we all, the e\il as welhasthe good, are brought forth into the Ught. Let aprince, therefore, appropriating to himself the spiritof the gods, look with pleasure upon one class of hiscitizens because they are useful and good ; otherslet him leave to make up the count ; let him be gladthat some of them hve, some let him merely endure.Consider this city, in which the throng that streams373